Photosynthesis is carried out by one of the most elaborate nano-scale biological machines in nature. An integral part of the so called photosystem is the 'antennae' which consist of many hundreds of chlorophyll molecules which capture energy from sun-light and filter it through to a single 'reaction centre'. In this manner the reaction centre enjoys a constant stream of excitation energy, which drives the energy conversion and storage processes even under low light.

We are attempting to create structurally simpler analogues of the photosystem which, in principle, replicate the 'antennae effect'. These are based on multi Zinc-Porphyrin (ZnP) arrays which have been designed such that energy is collected in peripheral ZnP sites and directed to a bound core site via a covalent linkage. The ZnP arrays may be incorporated into a synthetic peptide known as a maquette (Figure 1). This will be achieved using a ferrous porphyrin (FeP) to bind to the peptide interior and act as a redox centre for energy storage.

Ultimately it is hoped that such artificial constructs will lead to the creation of an efficient light harvesting bio-mimetic material that could be used as a photo-catalyst, or in photonic devices and solar cells. To this end, a detailed understanding of the electrochemical and photo-physical properties of the component units is required. This presentation will outline progress towards the computational and spectroscopic characterization of some ZnP-FeP dimers with a view toward their intended use as part of the supra-molecular construct.